I have been working on different movements to increase shoulder mobility but I am still unable to perform a snatch or an overhead squat, as my shoulders are too tight. Does anyone have any exercises that I can do to improve my mobility and ROM regarding my shoulder? I assume that part of the reason why my shoulders lack mobility is that I come from a baseball background and was advised never to work overhead presses into my workouts in order to preserve the rotator cuff.

I have been working on different movements to increase shoulder mobility but I am still unable to perform a snatch or an overhead squat, as my shoulders are too tight. Does anyone have any exercises that I can do to improve my mobility and ROM regarding my shoulder? I assume that part of the reason why my shoulders lack mobility is that I come from a baseball background and was advised never to work overhead presses into my workouts in order to preserve the rotator cuff.

Mobility WOD will be good for opening up...

Nothing wrong with overhead pressing if it's done right...although if you have sustained chronic injury it may NO LONGER be right for you (there are some genetic anomalies that may make it bad too). If you have neither of those, you can safely press overhead.

Elbows slightly in front of the bar. Tighten everything, especially glutes and stomach. At the top of the movement shrug your shoulders up.

I have been working on different movements to increase shoulder mobility but I am still unable to perform a snatch or an overhead squat, as my shoulders are too tight. Does anyone have any exercises that I can do to improve my mobility and ROM regarding my shoulder? I assume that part of the reason why my shoulders lack mobility is that I come from a baseball background and was advised never to work overhead presses into my workouts in order to preserve the rotator cuff.

2. Lats stretch, pec stretch, pec minor massage. Can use basketball or other ball and lie on top of it for pec rolling.

For pec major you can use corner stretch -- arms abducted to 90, with hands pointing up. Face the concave corner of a wall, and let the elbows touch the side of the wall. Then lunge forward and let it stretch out the anterior muscles of the shoulder.

First, I'd like to thank Bryan for posting a link to my blog Fitness for Smart People. Awesome! While it is difficult to comment on your specific issue without evaluating you, I think you've already gotten some great general advice. Because the last 10 -15 degrees of shoulder flexion or overhead reach actually comes from thoracic extension, that is probably a good place to start.

Shoulder flexion above 90 degrees also requires a poster and inferior glide of the humeral head. In some throwing athletes, there is an imbalance of external and internal rotation on the throwing side and there may be (and usually is) tightness in the poster capsule on the throwing side. I have an eight year old baseball player and we are already starting to see this. Someone already mentioned the sleeper stretch. This is designed to increase mobility in the posterior capsule. The interesting thing with throwing athletes is that the total amount of ER/IR is the same just biased towards ER on the throwing side.

Should mention about this second video...you really have to account for scapular movement. If you do have a tight capsule you can compensate with scapular migration...so while this video makes a good point, just realize that evaluating pure movement often takes a trained eye. Among many coaching circles, the sleeper stretch is considered a must for throwing athletes. Just food for thought.

A forward-head, rounded-shoulder posture (which is often associated with a tight T-spine) can also cause the humeral head to migrate forward and internally rotate. Focus on keeping your upper back round and then try to raise your arms overhead...it's impossible. Tightness in the lats, pecs, thoracic spine, and to some extent posterior capsule all can be contributing factors.

Also, in the gym, heavy push is often chosen over pull, which can also exacerbate an imbalance that favors anterior migration of the humeral head along with internal rotation.

Finally, keep in mind as we age so do our bodies. In some individuals thickening of the subacromial structures (like the RTC) and even small amounts of bone spurring, tightness in the capsule, poor thoracic extension, etc. may lead to impingement or pinching at the end ranges of any movement, particularly overhead movements. While you can certainly address things like muscle and joint tightness, you can't necessarily undo bone spurring or thickening of structures if they exist. Just be careful and listen to your body as chronic wear and tear (especially at extreme end ranges) can cause tiny and even significant tears in the rotator cuff. You might also want to think about consulting a PT or chiropractor to get patient specific advice.

The four things we look at when working with shoulders are;
1. posture
2. joint position-packing the shoulder(scapular moving back and down, NOT up and away like you are taught to perform the OHS)
3. grip-the stronger your grip, the better the stabilizers of the shoulder will work(think heavy farmers walks, and other grip work)
4. breath- Easily the most overlooked part, and hard to explain via writing. Think breathing out with your belly, then up with your chest and shoulders. This makes your diaphragm work properly, and helps with motion of the thoracic spine. Also, breathing "up" forces you to use your traps, levators, and other musculature that should be used to support and motion of the shoulder, NOT for breathing.

You are so right. My son has become a guinea pig of sorts. Evaluating his breathing the other day, it was obvious that he had diaphragmatic restrictions on his throwing side...he's only eight. The point being, though, that the diaphragm is a muscle and part of a fascial plane and definitely something that warrants our attention.

You are also right about not using accessory muscles for breathing. It all ties in together and why a restriction of shoulder motion often goes well beyond the shoulder itself.